Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-12-21
JIM, THE PKSMAS.
One of the Finest Plays on Record Pro-
duced at the Opera House

One of the Finest Plays on Record Pro-
duced at the Opera House.
4 good sized audience, that ought, how
ever, have been twice Ia large, was held
almost spelI.bound for three hours and a
half last evening while the play, Jim,
the Penman," WAS being presented by
Manager palmer's splendid company at the
Opera House To say the play is exciting
or thrilling hardly describes il, it il 70 ar
tistcally put together that while the cur.
tain is up pin might he heard dropping
so intensely absorbed and immovabIe is
the audience There is no rantiug in it,
nothing but The most delicate and finished
setting, and the strain Of intense and alb
sorbing Interest il never for an
instant relaxed. The performance il 20
finished and the development OF the plot
30 arti8tiO that the deep tragedy il involves,
though continually coming 10 the surface,
| il known only to three or four OF the char
acters at the end. The beanty Of the play
is it's quietnss-, in tact. Everybody who
sees il must remember the scene in the
third act. in which Miss May Brooklyn
holds the audience spell-bOpnd for two or
| three minutes, while not EGTd II uttered,
| not q leIsan :n0Tes OG the stage nothing
changes only her face, and that 20 gradual
| ly, so gently, that its movement is scarce
ly perceptible.
The outline Of the play IL this: James
RalstOn is London gentlema-, middle
aged and wealthy, gita house in fash
iOnable part OF the city and n pleasant
country seat. He is something in the
city" none Of his fashionable friends taaw
exactly what, and his vile and chlldrec
have very diE: IDEAS OF what his business
~. tie il called, indefinitely, a fnancier
He is in reality an expert forger the
principal member Of gang who have
eluded the police OF two continents for
many years and haYe gained by their trans
actions large sams OF money. RalstOD's
wife, TO whom he IL warmly attached,
he gained through \ fraud. She was
hetrothed TO Louis Percival, but while
Percival was travelling in France be re-.
ceiyed letter from her breaking the en-
gagement; at the same time the lady re-
ceived q letter signed by him announcing
his intended marriage TO another woman.
Both Of these letters were the forgeries Of
one man, James Ralston, and by their aid
Ralston obtained his wife, while FerciyaI,
mourning over the tcklealss OF woman
kind, sailed for America Through an
other sEiilful forgery, however, he was
robbed Of an entire fortune, and returned
to England to hunt down the criminal
So Louis Percival unwittingly becomes the
means Of Ralston's downfall. The daiiDg
rascal is brought almost E,thin the grasp
of the Law, Wien be dies Of heart disease,
saving mis- family from the shame Of ex-
posure while the guests at his daughter 8
wedding are feasting in the adjoining 6
dining-room
The acting Of Mf, George Edgar as
"JAmes Ralston, or Jim. the Penman," 1"
could hardly be better. It is the exact
realization Of the character. The acting
in it Is very difficult and trying hiiss May
Brooklyn a. "MFs. kalstonp Was superb
and bar acting finished to degree. Both
she and Mr.. Edgar were frequently called
befoee the curtain. Mr.. Lewis baker
as "Csntain Redwood" the detective,
made a decided hit, as did Mr.. Harry
Eytinge as "Baron Hartfelt." The com.